Retired H1's

For those interested, KYD has a stock of retired H1's sitting around. There is about five in orange sitting on the south lead, one with pans stripped, one with trim around "F" end cap stripped. Also, about five others are scattered throughout the yard.

And I had a pleasant ride southbound, with perfectly round wheels, in other news. Yesterday's northbound ride, however, was on a H1 with wheels shaped like a pizza-box.

For those keeping score, the train of retired H1's has been scooted, apparently under their own power, one train-length north in KYD. The pans were still up weds AM.

I wonder if Metra has ever considered "parting out" bits and pieces of these cars to foamers like ourselves (c'mon, who are we kidding?). The MTA did this a few years ago with their Redbird fleet when they were replaced. Little things like throttle levers, whistles, and such were available online for more than a scrapper would pay - but then again, scrappers aren't entirely tolerant of railfans. Since the H1s are pretty much only operable on that line, whatever future they have will involve blowtorches and melting steel (with a few probably going to museums). Might be an interesting way for them to maximize what they get for the cars.

I just wish I could've gotten some of those old roller curtain signs that the IC used during the early days of the H1's. I know those are long gone by now...

Redamak's restaurant has one (New Buffalo, MI) but I think it's from the green coaches, and not Highliners. It doesn't have UP as a station, just up to Richton.

I've noticed on sunday that a string of 8 highliners( 6 in orange and brown, 2 in blue) have been sitting across from Van Buren station. They're still here today..all 8 are on storage track 5..usually reserved for NICTD equipment.

That is strange, I haven't seen orange H1's outside of KYD since the H2 fleet showed up.

Yep, they've been sitting out there since our little accident last saturday. The cars are all tied together with pans down, Metra logos painted out and the two end cars have adapter knuckles and air lines attached.

Sounds like an express to Naporano or Azcon.

Ha! Newsflash!!!

Instead of falling under the torch, there is about six orange and one blue H1's sitting on track 14 at Randolph Street Station - 14 is the far track without the platform access. I saw them today on my ride to midway airport. Oh how I wish I was on my way to CUS and Amtrak #3... However, if that were the case, I'd be cruising thru LaPlata MO rather than sitting at my desk in Kansas.

The initial attempt to sell them off was probably done in such a way that the cars they were selling, rusty or not, were more or less complete. But since no one is buying, looks like Metra's going to just part them out. Should be interesting to see the interiors right before they retire the last of them, since it'd be stupid to get new seat upholstery done if one gets torn or ragged (with a whole bunch of extra cars that aren't going to be used). There'll probably be a few cars with both the newer blue seats and the older orange ones.

Does it surprise anybody that Metra couldn't sell some 30-year old MU's that operate on a voltage used nowhere else in America? Add that to the fact that these MU's embody the typical 1970's American manufacturing traits (read: piece of crap) and there's no surprise here. I think Metra probably realized the same, but had a fiduciary duty to the taxpayers to at least attempt the sale...

Speaking of parting them out, I want a control handle from the throttle. And/or a speedometer.

Tadman wrote:Speaking of parting them out, I want a control handle from the throttle. And/or a speedometer.

How about a whole cab? Might be nice to go with a widescreen TV and MS Train Simulator.

I can top that one - when certain lake freighters were scrapped, a few people bought the pilot house and had it barged frome the scrapper to the site of their summer property where it was made into a cottage.